FreightCasts

On episode 858 of WHAT THE TRUCK?!? Dooner is talking to the teams at Dr. Squatch and ShipMonk to learn how they’re cleaning up in the soap business. How does manly soap go from source to sold? We’ll find out from Dr. Squatch’s Andrew Sutton and Jason Welsh and ShipMonk’s Kevin Sides. Ordinary Times’ Andrew Donaldson doesn’t just write about trade; he used to move it himself. We’ll learn about the logistics of delivering bathtubs in West Virginia and examine Trump’s tariff trade deal delay. We’ll dive into what’s happening now and what may occur on August 1. Plus, the first Red Sea attack of 2025; who’s getting $5 million to haul the space shuttle; smuggling in flatbed trailers; a Jurassic Park Rebirth review; and more. Catch new shows live at noon EDT Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on FreightWaves LinkedIn, Facebook, X or YouTube, or on demand by looking up WHAT THE TRUCK?!? on your favorite podcast player and at 6 p.m. Eastern on SiriusXM’s Road Dog Trucking Channel 146. Watch on YouTube Check out the WTT merch store Visit our sponsor Subscribe to the WTT newsletter Apple Podcasts Spotify More FreightWaves Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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We begin with news of a ⁠Houthi attack on the Liberian-flagged bulk tanker, Magic Seas⁠, in the Red Sea, marking the first such incident on commercial shipping since December of last year. This attack, which occurred 51 nautical miles southwest of Hudaydah, Yemen, led to the vessel being set on fire and sinking, with its 23-person crew abandoning ship.  UPS plans to offer ⁠voluntary buyouts to unionized drivers⁠ for the first time in their history, as part of an effort to eliminate approximately 20,000 frontline positions and increase profits. While drivers taking the buyout would receive a generous financial package and earned retirement benefits, the Teamsters union strongly opposes this plan, viewing it as an illegal violation of their contract's commitment to creating new jobs.  In other news, DP World, a global ports and logistics operator, is seizing ⁠significant opportunities across Latin America⁠, having recently opened a freight forwarding hub in Mexico City to support rising demand in US-Mexico cross-border logistics. The company has expanded aggressively in the Americas over the last two years, establishing 35 freight forwarding offices, including locations in Brazil and Toronto. Finally, don't miss out on upcoming Freight Waves events, including a new episode of ⁠What The Truck?!?⁠ today at noon, with a replay on Road Dog Trucking at 6 p.m.. Also, remember to sign up for the ⁠Enterprise Fleet Summit⁠ on July 23rd and the ⁠Supply Chain AI Symposium⁠ on July 30th in Washington DC, both accessible for registration at ⁠live.freightwaves.com⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Fuller Speed Ahead: Generation Grit! In Part 2 of our captivating interview, Craig Fuller continues his conversation with his father, Max Fuller, unraveling more incredible stories from the family's deep roots in the trucking industry. This episode picks up where we left off, diving into the aftermath of Clyde Fuller's (Craig's grandfather) notorious legal battles and his ingenious, often audacious, methods for building a trucking empire in a heavily regulated era. Max shares: The surprising twist of the Athens Express company, and how Max's mother bravely navigated its unexpected debt. Clyde's clever pivot to the leasing business and how he continued to find "gray areas" to operate, even after his co-op was shut down. The astonishing tale of Max, at just 17 years old, becoming the registered owner of Southwest Motor Freight – a "shell company" used to acquire precious ICC authority and expand the family's reach across the country. A fascinating glimpse into the "Wild West" logistics of the 1970s, where trucks literally changed door signs mid-route to switch operating authorities! The pivotal moment Max faced an ICC commissioner, interrogated about his role in the rapidly growing, unconventional business. This episode is packed with personal anecdotes, strategic maneuvers, and the sheer grit that defined the early days of American trucking. Discover how the Fuller family navigated legal loopholes and built a network against all odds. Don't miss this thrilling continuation of a true trucking dynasty's origin story! Stay tuned for Part 3 next week as the saga continues! ⁠#FullerSpeedAhead⁠ ⁠#GenerationGrit⁠ ⁠#TruckingHistory⁠ ⁠#Logistics⁠ ⁠#SupplyChain⁠ ⁠#FreightWaves⁠ ⁠#FamilyBusiness⁠ ⁠#MaxFuller⁠ ⁠#ClydeFuller⁠ ⁠#ICC⁠ ⁠#TruckingLegends⁠ ⁠#Freight⁠ ⁠#TruckingIndustry⁠ ⁠#Entrepreneurship⁠ ⁠#americanhistory Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charles Yang tells JP Hampstead about his contribution to the Techno-Industrial Playbook, which explains the levers that the government can pull to expand financing for domestic critical mineral processing. Charles and JP discuss the economics of minerals commodity markets and the risks that domestic processors take on by entering a market whose prices can be manipulated by China. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Long Haul, Adam sits down with Clay and Nick from FreshX to talk about one of the biggest shifts happening in the freight market right now—reefer LTL. They break down how food and beverage shippers are rethinking distribution, why reefer LTL is gaining momentum, and how tech is finally making it accessible to small carriers.If you’ve got a reefer unit and you’re tired of chasing one-off loads, this episode shows you how to build smarter weeks, tap into higher-paying opportunities, and position yourself for the new direction the market is heading. Clay and Nick don’t just talk theory—they’ve built the tech that’s actually changing the game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Uncertainty surrounds U.S. and China trade relations as the July 9th tariff pause deadline approaches. President Donald Trump has announced an agreement for China to resume rare earth minerals trade in exchange for some U.S. tariff relief, with negotiations to be finalized after the Fourth of July holiday. The U.S. Postal Service has rolled out the second phase of its new delivery standards nationwide, aiming to improve operational efficiency and reduce transportation costs. These initiatives involve expanding reduced surface transportation schedules from regional processing centers to more distant post offices, intending to eliminate inefficient trucking trips and potentially save $36 billion over 10 years. A new LA-to-New York passenger train proposal by AmeriStarRail is set to carry long-haul trucks and their drivers. This coast-to-coast service, in partnership with Amtrak, promises to complete the journey in less than 72 hours, offering truck drivers drive-aboard service with access to Amtrak's coach, sleeper, and dining cars. The operation could potentially begin as early as May of next year. Listeners are also invited to explore new content on FreightWaves TV. Upcoming episodes include The Long Haul with Adam Wingfield and Bring It Home with JP Hamstead, offering further insights into the freight industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adam Raviv, Global Co-Chair of Sidley's Automotive and Mobility Practice and former Chief Counsel at NHTSA, shares expert insights on autonomous vehicle regulations. He discusses the chaotic 'Wild West' of local and state rules that clash with federal standards. Raviv explains the importance of safety cases in AV development and the need for redundant safety systems. He also highlights the distinct challenges faced by autonomous trucks versus robotaxis and the heightened public scrutiny that can impact industry dynamics.

On episode 857 of WHAT THE TRUCK?!? Dooner is talking about a big draw down in driver wages and earnings. ATRI calls it, “The highest costs ever recorded by ATRI for non-fuel operating costs.” Is it going to be a summer of struggle for truckers and fleets? Shell’s Supertruck 3.0 is off to the races. Shell’s Scott Burian tells us all about the truck and its role on the race circuit pulling the Pennzoil Tech Inspection Trailer for the rest of the 2025 season. Secretary Duffy joined the show last week to break news about $275 million going towards truck parking. Truck Parking Club’s Reed Loustalot drops by the studio to talk about how it will help drivers park safely. We’ll also learn about his move to Chattanooga and how they’re putting the club in Truck Parking Club.  Catch new shows live at noon EDT Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on FreightWaves LinkedIn, Facebook, X or YouTube, or on demand by looking up WHAT THE TRUCK?!? on your favorite podcast player and at 6 p.m. Eastern on SiriusXM’s Road Dog Trucking Channel 146. Watch on YouTube Check out the WTT merch store Visit our sponsor Subscribe to the WTT newsletter Apple Podcasts Spotify More FreightWaves Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the largest food shipper bankruptcies in recent years involves Del Monte Foods filing for Chapter 11, impacting logistics providers like Uber Freight, which is owed $9 million. While pre-bankruptcy amounts are unsecured and repayment remains uncertain, there's hope that post-filing services may be paid more promptly under tighter court oversight and credit restraints. The U.S. Postal Service has expanded new delivery standards nationwide in its second phase, aiming to boost efficiency and slash costs by an estimated $36 billion over the next decade. This revamp involves consolidating facilities, eliminating redundant trucking trips, and streamlining mail processing, adapting to a dramatic shift in mail volume. On a more alarming note, recent weeks have seen over $31 million worth of illegal drugs seized at U.S. and Canadian border ports from commercial shipments. Supply chain risk firm Overhaul also assisted in recovering stolen rail freight cargo in California and Illinois, highlighting ongoing challenges of cargo theft. Let's turn to fuel prices, where benchmark diesel prices have cooled off after a spike linked to geopolitical fears, declining by nearly 5 cents per gallon to $3.727/gallon. Interestingly, diesel is trading in backwardation, where the front-month price is higher than later months, indicating tight inventory conditions and making its prices more sensitive than crude oil. Moving to the workforce, new data reveals truck driver wage growth is slowing in 2025 after strong increases in 2021 and 2022, projected to slow further to less than 1% during early 2025. This cooling is driven by reduced demand for drivers and a broader slowdown in national wage growth, despite non-fuel operational costs for trucking hitting record highs. Finally, experts agree that constant, overlapping disruptions have reshaped the global trade environment into a new normal, termed "compound disruptions". Building resilient supply chains in this era requires foresight, agility, a digital-first mindset, and enhanced collaboration between shippers and carriers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices